Tribune founder Ninez Cacho-Olivares, 78

MANILA, Philippines — Veteran journalist Ninez Cacho-Olivares, founder of the Daily Tribune, died yesterday. She was 78. 

Olivares, who served as Tribune’s publisher and editor-in-chief, died yesterday morning due to lingering illness, the newspaper confirmed. 

“Through all the challenges that the newspaper went through, she had one stubborn purpose, which was to put the Daily Tribune to bed every day,” the Tribune said in a statement released on its Facebook page. 

A statement from her family said her wake will begin on Saturday at Capilla de la Virgen, Santuario de San Antonio on McKinley Road, Forbes Park, from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Mass will be at 5 p.m.

The funeral mass will take place on Monday at Santuario de San Antonio at 9:30 a.m.

Olivares faced several libel charges during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. 

She was also at the helm of the broadsheet when it was raided at the height of the state of emergency declared by Arroyo in 2006. 

She is survived by her children Peter, Bambina, Michael and Pixie; her children-in-law Tweety Quintero, Xandra Barretto and Jay Fonacier; and grandchildren Carlo, Iñigo, Isabella and Enrique Olivares, Samantha and Jessica Wise, Julio Olivares and Noelle Fonacier.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo extended President Duterte’s condolences to the family of Olivares.

“It’s so sudden, I have been reading her columns,” Panelo said, describing Olivares as a good friend, a fiery columnist and a staunch supporter of Duterte.  – Janvic Mateo, Christina Mendez